The player character is Valdyn, an outlaw who is also known as Lionheart because of his fierceness and courage, after the holy relic of the Cat People. He was arrested from the Bloodied Claw and taken to the palace's dungeons. However he is summoned by the King and is assigned a quest: the Lionheart had been stolen and if the King is not able to show it in the Showing Festival he will be forced to absdicate the throne, replaced by his arch-chancellor Nargle. Furthermore, Valdyn's beloved Ilene had been turned to stone by the thieves. Based on his nickname, the priests declare that Valdyn is destined to reclaim the jewel.
Source: Wikipedia, "[en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionheart_%28video_game%29 Lionheart (video game)]", available under the CC-BY-SA License.